LANSING—Historic legislation reforming Michigan’s antiquated teacher tenure rules was signed into law on Tuesday, said Sen. Phil Pavlov, who guided the bills through the Senate.

Under the new measures, school districts must consider teacher quality and not seniority alone when making staffing decisions. In addition, school personnel must be evaluated annually based in part on student achievement.

“Today is a great day for students, parents, and teachers who are passionate about doing their job,” said Pavlov, R-St. Clair Township. “Our system of education should always be about what is best for the kids. These laws make that our priority.”

Pavlov, who chairs the Senate Education Committee, amended the legislation to streamline the tenure process and add parental notification of ineffective teachers. His changes strengthened the law while making the process fairer and legally sound.